The Great Chinese Dream: Technological Socialism and State Capitalism

China has a plan: a combination of a social contract to provide economic and material security for its citizens,

coupled with a divine mandate to restore its position as the world’s most influential nation. This plan leverages technology for industrial development, fosters social trust, and offers citizens solutions closely tied to convenience and control. Its implicit message prompts us to ask: Don’t we all want to be better citizens, enjoy a safer environment, and live in a better world? We are deeply concerned that an authoritarian system might prove superior to our democracies and our respect for civil society and human rights. Nevertheless, China’s growing presence should be a catalyst for improvement and progress. This study, in particular, attempts to explain this new plan—technological socialism combined with state capitalism—from within China. This analysis aims to be as objective as possible when delving into a captivating country and culture, where tradition and modernity constantly intersect in stark contrasts, and where a complex conflict exists between narratives: those that explain the merits of its system and its global goodwill, and those that assert that China poses an international threat and has launched an arms race in new technologies. But reality is far more complex, with social and political objectives that differ radically from what we are accustomed to. In fact, this is the greatest contribution of contemporary China: the country, its system, and its experiences exist somewhere in a possible future and should serve as a reference point for reflection on the triangle of technology, economy, and society that leads to genuine benefit for all.